Why Tianjin is also known as “Jin-Gu”.
天津别称“津沽”中的“沽”
“Gū (沽)” a pictophonetic character, which is derived from the ancient sound of “水 (shuǐ).” According to the Shuōwén Jiězì dictionary: "沽, water. Originates outside the Yuyang Pass and flows eastwards into the sea." "Gū" was the ancient name for a river, specifically the Baihe River in present-day Hebei province. The Baihe River, along with the Chaobai River northeast of Beijing, converges into the Miyun Reservoir. After flowing out, they join together at Hecao Village in Miyun County, forming the Chaobai River. The Chaobai River passes through Beijing and Hebei before reaching the sea in Tianjin. Villages along the banks of Tianjin frequently include the character " gū沽" in their names, such as Sānchàgū, Xiǎozhígū, Dàzhígū, Tánggū, and Hàngū. Since ancient times, Tianjin has been known as the "Seventy-Two Gūs," establishing "Gū" as an alternate name for Tianjin.-
The Qing Dynasty poet Cha Changye's wrote in "On the Spot:"
"Seeking fragrant blooms, step by step in the greenery,
Beyond the willows, who has built the fishing platform?
The seventy-two gū's spring waters flow vividly,
Amidst the noonday sounds, wild peaches blossom."
This depicts the scenery of the Seventy-Two Gūs, where the northern land carries the charm of southern regions.
According to the Miscellaneous Records of Tianjin from the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty, although Tianjin was known as the Seventy-Two Gūs, there were only twenty-one Gūs in the city itself. These included the "T-shaped" Dīngzǐ Gū, the "spring's depth can be known by the blooming flowers" Xī Gū, the Three Chà Gūs where the southern and northern canals intersect, the Xīaozhí Gū where the Temple of the Queen Mother's West Temple is located, the Dàzhí Gū where Tianjin's guard was established after Dàzhí Gū, the "sweetness of the water" Xiánshuǐ Gū named after the salt, the " if not peach trees, then willow trees cover" Ge Gū, the Caotou Gū where historically barren, now a water product distribution center, there’s the “named after a surname” Dengshan Gū and Haojia Gū, there the Da Gū whose "cliff shores are like mountains, standing like platforms, where cold flutes blow, clouds part."
There are also Jiajia Gū，Xingjia Gū,Yuan Gū,Taoyuan Gū,Pan Gū,Sili Gū,Dongni Gū,Zhongni Gū,Xini Gū,Ta Gū,Da Gū . These twenty-one "沽" are named after the West Luhe River, also known as Xigu River. According to the records in the book, besides these twenty-one " Gū", the others are located in Baodi and Ninghe counties.
During the Guangxu period, the "Revised Gazetteer of Tianjin Prefecture" records twenty-nine in Baodi, namely Jianzi Gū, Nanzhai Gū, Wudao Gū, Xiaota Gū, another Xiaota Gū, Wangjia Gū, Caojia Gū, Hulu Gū, Qingzai Gū, Yujie Gū, Liangjia Gū, Baozi Gū, Xilu Gū, Donglu Gū, Lingjiao Gū, Gangshi Gū, Ta Gū, Banjie Gū, Dadiao Gū, Manao Gū, Dabaluoli' Gū, Xiaobaluoli Gū, Da Gū, Tan Gū, Beilizi Gū, Nanlizi Gū, Bada Gū, Bangdao Gū, and Xizhuang Gū. In Ninghe, there are twenty-two, namely Qijia Gū, Nan Gū, Jiangshi Gū, Damai Gū, Bangdao Gū, Jiedao Gū, Maizi Gū, Donghui Gū, Zhongxing Gū, Beijian Gū, Pan Gū, Nanjian Gū, Goulou Gū, Han Gū, Mashui Gū, Lijia Gū, another Lijia Gū, Choutou Gū, Ningche Gū, Tang'er Gū, Tianjia Gū, and Fengjia Gū. These two counties make up fifty-one Gū’s. The name is also derived from the Donglu River, also known as Gongū River.
Within the urban area, most of the twenty-one " Gū" (historical villages) still exist today, though they no longer resemble the past. In Baodi, there are currently 28 remaining Gū villages, while in Ninghe, there are 19. Many of these " Gū" correspond to historical records. For instance, in Baodi, what was historically known as the "Daluozi Gū" and "Xialuozi Gū" are now referred to as "raccoon dog Gū." Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, refugees from Shandong settled here after their cart axle broke. The place was named after the local low-lying terrain where raccoon dogs resided. In Ninghe, the historical "Jiedao Gū" is now divided into "Front Jiedao Gū", "Back Jiedao Gū", "Little Jiedao Gū" and "Middle Jiedao Gū," named after a military dispatch station established during the Ming Dynasty when the Prince of Yan campaigned northward. At the estuary where the Hai River meets the sea, Da Gū and Tang Gū face each other on opposite banks.
The most famous "Gū’s" among the " seventy-two Gū" include Dingzi Gū and Xi Gū in the northwest of the city, Xiaozhi Gū, Dongni Gū, and Xini Gū in the northeast, and Da Gū at the estuary where the Hai River meets the sea.
West Gū and Dingzi Gū are located relatively close to each other. In the early Qing dynasty, the poet Zhu Daojiang wrote: "The convergence of the Lu and Wei Rivers flows into the sea peacefully, and the scenery of Ding Gū has long been renowned." The Lu River is now known as the North Canal, and the Wei River is the South Canal. These two rivers flow into Tianjin and converge in the northern suburbs eight miles from the city, forming a shape resembling the Chinese character "丁", thus giving Dingzi Gū its name. During the Ming dynasty, an official ferry crossing was established in West Da Gū, and in the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty, a pontoon bridge was built on the site. After the founding of the Republic of China, peach trees were planted along the banks of the North Canal, and the area became famous for its springtime peach blossoms, attracting tourists to Tianjin. By the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan, few peach trees remained, but the fame of the peach groves in West Dagugu endured. The site of the late Qing Dynasty Naval Academy and Arsenal later became the campus of the famous Beiyang University, located beside the peach orchards of Xi Gū.
Zhi Gū has been a general term since the Ming and Qing dynasties for the residential area at the three-way intersection of Tianjin. According to the "Fangyu Ji Yao", it is located ten miles southeast of Tianjin City, where the Xiaozhi Gū converges with the flowing rivers, and the Dazhi Gū lies to the southeast. Numerous rivers converge and overflow in Dazhi Gū, making it vast and boundless, hence its name. The legacy of DazhiGū's place name remains on the east bank of the Hai River today. Many distilleries were once located there, renowned for producing sorghum-based baijiu, making Tianjin's "ZhiGū Liquor" famous nationwide.
Xianshui Gū is located on the southwest bank of the lower and middle section of the Hai River, alongside Ge Gū, Taoyuan Gū, Xini Gū, and others. Xianshui Gu and Ge Gū are situated about forty to fifty miles southeast of the city of Tianjin, constituting two major towns in the Tianjin suburbs. It is said that as the tide rises, the Hai River water reaches Xianshui Gū and stops there, hence its name, Xianshui Gū.
At the mouth of the Hai River, facing each other across the banks, are Da Gū and Tang Gū. These two places are known as crucial hubs, connecting nine rivers and providing transportation links to seven provinces by boat and road. They are hailed as the gateway between Beijing and Tianjin, and the vital nexus between land and sea.
Da Gū was one of the earliest villages to form in the Tang Gū area after land formation. Early settlers made a living here by fishing, harvesting salt from the sea, famously known as "fish and salt reliance". During the Yuan Dynasty, Da Gū became one of the earliest ports in northern China to overlook the sea. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited here and commissioned the construction of a sea god temple, ascending the platform to gaze upon the vast ocean and inscribe stone tablets to commemorate their visits.
In modern times, the renowned chemical industry giants like Jiudai and Yongli have established their salt fields in Da Gū, which stretch vast and dazzling across the banks of the Hai River. Across the river in Tang Gū, there are large shipyards and a modern seaport where giant ships dock. Tang Gū residents are skilled in navigation and fishing; historically, many ventured abroad for a living, making Tang Gū a home for overseas Chinese. Today, Tang Gū has been designated an economic and technological development zone.
沽，形声字，从水古声。《说文解字》：“沽，水。出渔阳塞外，东入海”。沽是古代河流的名称，也就是今天河北境内的白河。白河与北京东北的潮河分别流入北京密云水库，流出后在密云县河槽村汇合称潮白河。潮白河流经北京、河北，在天津入海。天津沿河两岸的村庄多带有沽字，如：三岔沽、小直沽、大直沽、塘沽、汉沽等，天津自古有“七十二沽”之称，沽也就成为了天津的别称。
清代诗人查昌业的《即景》诗有云：“寻芳步步踏青来，柳外何人筑钓台?七十二沽春水活，午景声里野桃开”。勾勒出了七十二沽北国江南的风景画。
据清光绪年间《津门杂记》记载，天津虽有七十二沽之名，在城区内实为二十一沽。有“河形有如丁字之象”的丁字沽;有“欲知春浅深，但看花开未”的西沽;有南北运河交汇的“丁沽风物久闻名”的三汊沽;有天妃宫西庙所在的小直沽;有“先有大直沽，后有天津卫”的大直沽;有“命名以咸，而沽水甜淡”的咸水沽;有“不是桃遮即柳遮”的葛沽;有“泥沽西去葛沽东”的泥沽;有历史上荒芜，今日成水产品集散之地的草头沽;有以姓氏命名的邓善沽、郝家沽;有“崖岸如山峙如台，寒笳吹处阵云开”的大沽，还有贾家沽、邢家沽、元沽、桃园沽、盘沽、四里沽、东泥沽、中尼沽、西泥沽、塔沽、大沽。这二十一沽从西潞河名，西潞河一名西沽河。按该书记载，二十一沽之外，其余各沽，在宝坻、宁河县内。
光绪年间的《重修天津府志》记载，在宝坻者二十九，曰翦子沽、南寨沽、五道沽、小塔沽、又小塔沽、王家沽、曹家沽、葫芦沽、青稗沽、于家沽、梁家沽、豹子沽、西鲁沽、东鲁沽、菱角沽、矼石沽、塔沽、半截沽、大淀沽、玛瑙沽、大骆里沽、小骆里沽、大沽、滩沽、北李子沽、南李子沽、八道沽、傍道沽、西壮沽。在宁河者二十二沽，曰齐家沽、南沽、江石沽、大麦沽、傍道沽、捷道沽、麦子沽、东槐沽、中兴沽、北涧沽、盘沽、南涧沽、钩楼沽、汉沽、马杓沽、李家沽、又李家沽、蛏头沽、宁车沽、塘儿沽、田家沽、丰家沽。此二县五十一沽，从东潞河名也，东潞河一名东沽河。
在城区的二十一沽，今天大都仍在，当然今非昔比。宝坻的沽，现存28沽(村)，宁河现实存19沽。这些沽中，有很多与历史记载相吻合。如宝坻历史上大、小骆子沽，现今为貉子沽，据传明代山东一户难民逃荒路过此地，因车轴中断，在这里落户建庄，并因地势低洼，有貉子居住，故名。宁河历史上的捷道沽，现在分为前、后、小、中捷道四沽，因明代燕王扫北，在此设捷报站而得名。海河入海处，两岸对峙的是大沽和塘沽。
“七十二沽”里名声大的沽，是城西北的丁字沽、西沽，城东北的小直沽、东尼沽、西泥沽，海河入海处的大沽。
西沽和丁字沽距离较近。清初诗人朱导江诗句云：“潞卫交流入海平，丁沽风物久闻名。”潞河即今北运河，卫河是南运河，两河流进天津，在城北八里处汇合，成丁字形，故名丁字沽。西沽在明代曾设官渡，清康熙时在旧址设浮桥。民国后，沿北运河岸遍种桃树，春天桃花盛开，成为天津春游胜地。抗战前夕，桃树残存已不多，西沽桃林的盛名则仍在。清末水师学堂及武库的旧址，后来成为著名的北洋大学的校舍，即在西沽桃堤之侧。
直沽是明清以来对天津三岔口居民区的通称。具体地点，《方舆纪要》说是在天津城东南十里，小直沽汇集群川之流，大直沽在其东南，群流横溢，茫无涯涘，故称大直沽。流传下来的大直沽地名在今海河东岸，当地多设制酒烧锅，酿制高粱白干酒出名，天津产酒即以“直沽酒”闻名全国。
咸水沽在海河中下段西南岸，同葛沽、桃园沽、西泥沽等都在一侧。咸水沽和葛沽在城东南四、五十里处，是天津郊区的两个大镇。据说，海河水随潮上涨，咸水至此而止，故名咸水沽。
海河入海处，两岸对峙的是大沽和塘沽。两沽“地当九河津要，路通七省舟车”，有京津门户、海陆咽喉之称。大沽是塘沽地区成陆后最早形成的村落之一。早期的先民落户在这里，赶海捕鱼，煮海为盐，以此谋生，是谓“鱼盐是赖”。元代，大沽成为中国北方最早俯瞰大海的口岸。清康熙、乾隆曾巡幸到此，敕建海神庙，登台以观沧海、刻石记盛。近代著名的盐碱化学工业大厂“久大”和“永利”的盐田都设在大沽。海河滩上的盐田茫茫耀眼，一望无际。对岸塘沽有大型的造船厂;有现代化的海港，巨型轮船停泊在港口。塘沽居民善使船、打鱼;历史上有很多出海外谋生的，所以塘沽也是侨乡，现在塘沽设立了经济技术开发区。
